Kobe-MJ Logoman Becomes Most Expensive Sports Card Ever

2007-08 Dual Logoman Autographed Kobe Bryant-Michael Jordan card.

Heritage Auctions.

We knew history was coming, but man, we did not expect this.

Last week, we cataloged this 2007-08 Dual Logoman Autographed Kobe Bryant-Michael Jordan card, which was on track to make sports card history by becoming the highest-selling basketball card of all time – surpassing a Stephen Curry Logoman that sold for $ 5.9 million in 2021.

But just like both the athletes featured in the piece of memorabilia did with their respective games, this card took it to the next level. Not only did it become the highest-selling basketball card of all time, but the Bryant-Jordan Logoman now holds the record for the highest-selling sports card of all time.

Before it, the highest-selling sports card was the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, which sold for $12.6 million in 2022 at Heritage Auctions. The Bryant-Jordan Logoman surpassed this Mantle collectible by being auctioned off for a little over 12.9 million this weekend at Heritage Auctions, as part of its Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction.

Who Bought The Card?

The card was purchased by a trio of investors, most notably Kevin O’Leary, one of the investors in the popular TV show, “Shark Tank.” Alongside him were Matt Allen – a popular name in the sports memorabilia community – and Paul Warshaw, whose card collection is also widely known throughout the hobby.

In an interview with CNBC, O’Leary noted that he had been looking to add this type of asset to his investment portfolio for quite some time now, stating that “It’s so rare that the prices continue to appreciate, and they seem to defy recessions.”

Other Notable Sports Card Purchases

Whenever I read stuff like this, I always like to go down a rabbit hole about the subject matter. In this case, I would want to know what other big purchases have been made over the years.

Fortunately, the good folks at Heritage Auctions were kind enough to provide us with a list of the most expensive sports cards that have come through their auction house.

For Heritage, there is a huge relative drop-off between their second-highest card (the aforementioned 1952 Mantle card) and their third-highest card, which is also a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. That one sold for $4.5 million in 2023. The key difference between those two cards was that the one that sold for $12.6 million was more highly-minted* and was a 1985 Rosen Find.

*(For those wondering, mint refers to the quality of a pre-owned good. So, when we say a card is more highly-minted, we are just saying it is of a higher quality.)

Their fourth-highest selling card was a 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky that sold for nearly $3.8 million in a private sale in 2021. Fifth is another 1952 Mickey Mantle that sold for $2.9 million in 2018.

You can see more marquee sales in the chart below.

Outside of the Bryant-Jordan Logoman, the highest-selling basketball card to go through Heritage Auctions was the 1997 Upper Deck Game Jersey Michael Jordan that sold for $1.4 million in 2021.

In total, nearly 50 million dollars worth of memorabilia were sold at the Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction last weekend. An outstanding achievement for the good folks at Heritage Auctions.

“The results in this auction are not an accident and involve quite a bit of incredible work by our experts on the Heritage Sports team,” says Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage, in their media press release. “The results of our Sports catalog auctions reflect the fact that advanced collectors choose Heritage, because of our expertise and platform, and our track record of delivering record-breaking results is unmatched within the hobby.”